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Tile Museum and Carrots

Angela MooreWednesday, August 24, 2011

Ok so this post has a real loose connection to the garden, but bare with me all will become clear, or at least less murky! Its the school holidays a great time to have afternoon out with my niece Ava who's 5 years old. So along with my eldest sister Julie and our Aunt Sue we spent a lovely afternoon in a Tile Workshop at the Ironbridge Gorge Museums - Jackfield Tile Museum. I've previously visited the Tile Museum so today we were just popping in for the Make your Own Tile Workshop, so did not need to pay the museum admission.

These workshops are run during the school holidays and they are not aimed at just children, like us there were other adults having a go. It was very well organised with a lovely lady helping us to decide what size tiles to choose from, both my Aunt Sue and I chose a round coaster and Ava decided it was best if she had two tiles one a round coaster and the other a square one. There were lots to choose from including large squares, oblongs or even a teapot stand tile.

Now for the difficult part thinking what design to put on our tiles, for inspiration there were lots of lovely examples on the walls of the workshop and also pattern books to flick through. But we went with the intention of creating our own personal designs. There was no need to worry about being artistic as you can draw your design first on paper and then trace it onto your tile. We were given a small pouch with a nozzle which is filled with slip (liquid clay) which you hold like a pen but squeeze the pouch which you then trace over your design (this was a little tricky). Once we had decided on which colour glaze's we wanted we got down to painting. You have to remember that this stage the glazes all look like different shades of murky grey and pink.So do you want to see our designs.BEFORE FIRING